Authors

Discussion

The war in Ukraine has led to a review of previous policies towards Russia among the former post-soviet republics. Kazakhstan was also included in this group. The main objective of this paper is to present the change in the perception of the Russian Federation among the political elite and society of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The issues of political cooperation, drawing on Russian models in the conduct of domestic and foreign policy, the reformation of historical memory and the perception of the role of the Russian minority in the socio-political life of the republic are analysed. The material presented is intended to allow answers to the following research questions Has the war in Ukraine changed the perception of Russia among Kazakhstan's elites and society? Are attempts to loosen bilateral relations visible? Finding answers to the questions was made possible by analysing press releases talking about the actions of Kazakhstan's authorities after the invasion of Ukraine and exploring the mood of public opinion.

Key words: Kazakhstan, Russia, war in Ukraine, domestic politics